Leah Grimes

Chapter 91

I heard the door get slammed open, "Daryl, Leah. We need you." Immediately I stood up racing behind Enid up to the gates. I climbed up to the top looking over. There were whisperers down at the gate with walkers circling around.

The leader stepped up. "I am Alpha, and we only want one thing from you. My daughter." I looked at Daryl nervously. "Our community is more then capable of defending itself." Tara yelled. "I show you my face because we mean you no harm. I just want my daughter, I know you have her." Daryl stood up, "you should turn around. Leave now no one gets hurt." Alpha shook her head, "wrong answer." She called several more walkers out. "that girl told me what her mom did to her, we ain't sending her back." Daryl said to our people. Magna shook her head, "what if she has Alden and Luke?" I nodded agreeing. "Did you kill our people?" Tara asked.

Alpha shook her head, "no, which one of you leads these people?" Daryl yelled, "the hells it matter?" She threw her arms up, "then I'll just address all of ya. Your people crossed into our land, there will be no conflict. Your people killed our people, there will be no conflict. Bring me my daughter or there will be conflict." Daryl jumped down, "no one touch the girl. She's done talking I'm not." Quickly I followed him out the gate. "You can't have her." Daryl spat. "Now if it's a fight you're looking for. We got enough firepower to light you up right here and now." I heard a baby crying and looked over. "You brought a baby out here?" I asked. She nodded, "we're animals. Animals have babies out here. Now what were you saying, lighting us all up? How about we make a trade. One of mine two of yours. A good trade which is why you're gonna take it. Now bring me my daughter." I glared at the Alpha, knowing we had no choice, we needed Alden and Luke. "I wanted to kill them, but I wanted my daughter more."

"Hey she's gone." Tara ran up to us. Daryl scoffed, "the hell you mean she's gone." I sighed, "split up, we find Henry, we find the girl." We all ran off in different directions. "They snuck out." Enid said. I heard a banging and went to see what was happening. I saw that the crying baby was placed on the ground, the mother was slowly backing away, as walkers began to make their way to the child. Connie, one of the new people was running out towards it. I remembered that someone said she was deaf and immediately I raced back down the fence running towards her. Quickly I grabbed the baby stabbing as many walkers as I could, I pulled Connie behind me and I watched as Daryl ran out after me making noise to keep the walkers away.

When we made it back safely inside I handed the baby to a woman then went back to the fence. They had found Lydia Daryl grabbed her arm and slowly walked her back to Alpha. I peeked out the gate to see the Alpha had Alden and Luke visible now, tied up, holding them hostage. I followed Daryl out, and watched as Lydia hesitantly walked back to her mother as Luke and Alden were set free. I observed as Lydia turned to her mother giving her a small smile.

Alpha lunged forward slapping Lydia and I stepped back in shock accidentally running into Daryl. He put his arm around my shoulder pulling me in and I stared at Lydia wishing there was something I could do, she didn't want to be there, she didn't deserve to be abused not in a world as shitty as this one.

I stayed beyond the gates watching as the group walked away, Lydia beside her mother. When I finally pulled myself away I saw Henry waiting for me. "Daryl said we just have to live with it? How is that possible?" I sighed, "I don't know Henry." He nodded, "don't you live with everything that's happened to you?" I bit my lip, "I do, and it's not easy." He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry about what I said to you yesterday. I was just angry I wanted you to hurt like I did." I gave him a small smile, "well it worked. But know if you ever say anything like that to me again, you will regret it." He nodded, "I know."

I sat outside for the rest of my night staring up at the stars. "He went after her." Daryl said holding up a note I was assuming Henry left. "He's going to get himself killed." I whispered. Immediately I stood up, "I'm coming with you." I looked behind me as I heard someone walking up to us. It was Connie, she wrote in a notepad, I'm coming too. Daryl shook his head, "No." She pointed at the sentence again, and I asked, "why?" She flipped the page scribbling another note, "because I can't live with it either."